RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1938, Page 9

RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

ADDITIONS AT WANGANUI. CAPACITY BEING DOUBLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WANGANUI, July 2. The Government is at present carrying out large additions 'to the East Town Railway Workshops. The. foundations have already been put in for a new dryingroom for timber and for to the rolling-stock repair shop. These two new buildings will double the amount of work that can be done at the shops in repairing and rebuilding rolling-stock. ' The present truck repair shop is situated at the southern end of the workshops, and this is being extended northward to double the size of /the building. The drying-room is bding built alongside, so that supplies of timber will be handy to the jobs. The additions, which are being carried out by Railways Department workmen, are expected to take at least three months to complete. The number of men employed at the workshops was recently increased to 185, but the additions will increase the output of wagons to 1200 a year and will give employment to a further *27 men.

At present the workshops are very busy. In addition to the usual repair work the carriages damage fl in the Ratana train accident are being repaired, and a large number of men are employed on the additions. In wet weather these men are being employed to build small huts for use on railway construction jobs, or to manufacture metal chimneys for use in workers' tents.